Scars That Bite and Sear
by DigiExpert
Summary: ...Those days of glory would never again be. The power she once knew would never return to her and she couldn’t make herself rise to such heights again. And on she ran. Run, run, run, as fast as you can…... R


**It's been awhile since I've written any kind of fanfiction, much less Ruki. So here be my mark of my return. Enjoy or don't. Just read…**

She ran. The trees of Shinjuku Park were just a blur, a blur within the pools of tears falling from her violet eyes. Running. Running would take away the pain. As a teacher had said so many years ago, "Running will release the anger. Run until you are angry no more." But she couldn't believe that teacher. Even if she ran until she collapsed, there was still anger within- a brilliant black ball within her heart. The sweat poured from her forehead, yet she still ran. Salty water mixing with pure… enough to flame up an old wound. She had too many wounds to count… physical and emotional all ran together, but only the physical showed upon her skin.

Renamon was gone, had been gone for over two years. Ruki was certain she'd never return again. The gate had remained closed. The digital aura around the old gate was all false, not anything to access the world with. Even Yamaki couldn't find a way inside. The blue D-Arc had found it's real intention- a mere tossed away toy in the back of her closet. Those days of glory would never again be. The power she once knew would never return to her and she couldn't make herself rise to such heights again. And on she ran. **_Run, run, run, as fast as you can…._**

When she finally collapsed to a stop, she found herself in a closed piece of forest. She knew she was somewhere within the park, but she knew not where. It all seemed so familiar though…. She racked her brain for some past memory, anything to give her a clue. Instead, she met with a black wall. Her memory could not recall the spot, but the feeling she got made it seem otherwise. She tried harder, but still memory failed her. She gave up, frustrated. It was a feeling often felt, after all.

She knew not how long she lay there, staring up at the green canopy. Her breath slowly became normal, but still she did not rise. Her hand slipped over her body, slowly moving toward her other arm. The fingers traced the delicate outlines of former wounds, meeting with the course lines of new ones not yet scarred. Each wound held memories of a former hurt, a depression cutting deep. All had left her, and no one stayed around to talk anymore. Who would want to be with someone whose life had no meaning, no happiness? **_You can't catch me…._** No one could catch her, or catch up to her wavelength of thoughts. No one could contemplate the sorrow she felt over losing everything, losing control. _I've fallen so far… and I can't rise again…_ She knew what she'd done, how horribly she'd scarred herself. Yet, she took pride in this. Her pain evoked pleasure beyond compare, a feeling unknown to most.

The fingers continued to trace…. the hatred felt from each wound. They wound up her arm, criss-crossing this way and that, secrets of betrayal, secrets of love lost, secrets of lost friends. Each scar explainable, but only to those who would care to listen. And the general populace cared not about some teenager's angst. Only one listened, and this was as it created new cuts, new wounds, and new pleasures. Her fingers now reached for the pouch at her side, where the silver blade laid. They clasped around the cold metal of the blade.

But just as she was about to lift the blade from the pouch, a strange feeling overtook her. She felt light… and as though she was floating. But it couldn't be…. Or could it? She turned her head, and found herself floating off the ground on her back. Something was rotating her body so that she was almost vertical; her knees folded back as though she was kneeling. She became fearful inside. It was all just an illusion, wasn't it? Her collapse had caused it, right? An inner peace suddenly washed over her body, and she found herself in a dream state. Her eyes half closed, she watched as the digital spirits wrapped themselves around her body, giving her the appearance of a white angel with flowing red hair. Her arms spread out and became engrossed in a white light. Searing pain came for a few seconds, and then disappeared as quickly as it had come. She tried to find the source, but only the spirits were near.

The urge overcame her to look at her arms. She glanced to her right and noticed the bright color radiating from her skin, the wounds gone….every single scar gone. An angelic laughter rumbled from each spirit. It was as though this were a game for them, the fixing of her mistakes, but her mistakes weren't really fixed, just hidden from the naked eye. She could still feel them burned into her skin, as though they were still physically there. Now they were only reminders of her past errors, reminders of the pain that became her pleasure.

The spirits began a quiet hum, heard only by Ruki's ears. It was like a lullaby putting a child's mind to sleep…. She could not help but hang her head and close her eyes. As she did so, her body began to lower back to the grass, laid in a curled position. Her face was one of serene calmness, a child having fallen asleep after play. She finally awoke many hours later. The sun was lower in the sky, the hues of orange and red and yellow streaking through the canopy. Everything had been a dream… hadn't it? Then she remembered… her arms. She lifted them, almost frantically and let the quarter sleeves fall back. But there were no scars, no wounds; just pure, untouched skin. **_I'm the Pure One….._**

****

****

**Comments and criticisms welcome.**


End file.
